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第58章

letters-第58章

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ished in Spain have fallen to my share; I having been  labouring on the flinty rock and sierra; and not in smiling meadows  refreshed by sea breezes。  I hoped in Seville and other towns of  Andalusia to have secured the sale of more Testaments than it is  probable that I shall be able to do in Spain proper; where I was  afraid that my efforts had not been appreciated; but if my good  friend Mr。 Graydon has preceded me to those regions let him remain  there and let no one interrupt him。  I hope in the Lord that he  will be permitted to prosper。  When you write to him; present my  cordial regards; and assure him that at all times I shall be happy  to hear from him。

I hope nothing in my last letter; in which I forwarded Mr。 R's  communication; will be taken in bad part。  I repeat that I was  grieved to have Marin saddled upon me; in a place where I am  surrounded by spies and persecuted by many and vindictive enemies。   The idea; however; of his having gone back to Rome is preposterous;  the Bishop of Jaen having assured Mr。 R。 that he had turned a deaf  ear to all the promises which had been made to him; with the view  of inducing him to recant。  He has not yet made his appearance。

I remain; my dear Sir; yours;

GEORGE BORROW。

P。S。 … You have never had the urbanity to acknowledge the receipt  of my Gypsy Gospel。  In the Spanish newspapers it has been called a  great accession to the literature of Spain。



LETTER: 26th April; 1838



To Mr。 William Hitchin (ENDORSED: recd。 May 8; 1838) MADRID; APRIL 26; 1838。

I TAKE the liberty of herewith sending you my accompt。  It is still  an imperfect one; the printing of the Basque Gospel not being  charged for; which I have not defrayed; together with some other  items; for which I am indebted to my printer; who; having lately  fought a duel; is laid up with his wounds; and cannot for the  present transact business。  I have charged here; as you will  observe; for the translation of the Basque St。 Luke; an item; which  I sent in; in a former accompt; but which appears to have been  overlooked in your favour of Decr。 28; 1837。  Independent of the  Despatch; I have charged for the hire of a room as a general depot  for the Scriptures。  I am afraid to place my whole stock in the  shop; owing to the continual persecution to which I am subjected;  notwithstanding I enjoy powerful protection。  Only last week a band  of ALGUAZILS rushed into the premises and seized 25 copies of the  Gospel of St。 Luke in Rommany which I had advertised。  To the  present accompt of the money which I have disbursed; you will  please to add the previous one of Novr。 1837; which I sent in;  which will enable you to see how I stand。

I hope the Financial Committee and yourself will excuse any  inaccuracies; supposing I have fallen into any; respecting money  drawn; as I am much busied in negociations; and have lately been so  harassed by vexatious proceedings; that I believe my mind has  somewhat suffered。  However; glory to God; the Society's shop is  open AT MADRID; though we are not allowed to advertise and though  it be but a small taper burning amongst Egyptian darkness。  I hope  it will serve as a watch…light and beacon to some。

I remain; etc。;

GEORGE BORROW。

P。S。 … The reprint of 1。5 sheet was owing to want of care on my  part; in the translation。  I therefore wish that the amount be  struck out from my disbursements。



LETTER: 11th May; 1838



To the Rev。 A。 Brandram (ENDORSED: recd。  May 22; 1838) PRISON OF MADRID; MAY '11'; 1838。

REVD。 AND DEAR SIR; … I write; as you see; from the prison of  Madrid; in which I have been confined for the last ten days; for it  has pleased God to confer upon me the highest of mortal honours;  the privilege of bearing chains for His sake。  I shall not at  present detail the circumstances which occasioned my arrest; as  doubtless the English newspapers will afford you all the  particulars; nor shall I dwell upon the situation in which I find  myself; but be content with observing that the violence; the  preconcerted violence and atrocity; which have been practised  towards me; will prove the means of accomplishing not what my  enemies hoped and wished; the destruction and disgrace of the  Bible…cause in Spain; but its triumph; its pure and sublime  triumph。

Satan has; as usual; foiled himself; and his poisoned shafts have  recoiled; and pierced his own bosom。  You will have heard how  gallantly Sir George Villiers has taken my part; and how he has  made a national question of the persecution of which I have been  the object; and which lately reached its climax。  It will be  necessary to tell you here that I have always communicated to him  the steps which I intended to take in order to promote the  circulation of the Bible; and they have uniformly met with his  approbation; therefore you will easily conceive that in what I have  done there has been no rashness nor anything which savoured of the  arts of the charlatan:  I have too much respect for the Gospel and  my own character to have recourse to them。

I will now state a fact which speaks volumes as to the state of  affairs at Madrid。  My arch…enemy the Archbishop of Toledo; the  Primate of Spain; wishes to give me the kiss of brotherly peace。   He has caused a message to be conveyed to me in my dungeon;  assuring me that he has had no share in causing my imprisonment;  which he says was the work of the Civil Governor; who was incited  to that step by the Jesuits。  He adds that he is determined to seek  out my persecutors amongst the clergy and to have them punished;  and that when I leave prison he shall be happy to co…operate with  me in the dissemination of the Gospel!!!

I cannot write much now; for I am not well; having been bled and  blistered。  I must; however; devote a few lines to another subject;  but not one of rejoicing or Christian exultation。  Marin arrived  just after my arrest; and visited me in prison; and there favoured  me with a scene of despair; abject despair; which nearly turned my  brain。  I despised the creature; God forgive me; but I pitied him;  for he was without money and expected every moment to be seized  like myself and incarcerated; and he is by no means anxious to be  invested with the honours of martyrdom。  I have offered him some  relief … what else could I do?  He seems partly insane。  I reap; as  I expected; the full credit of his conversion。  The Bishop of  Cordova got up the other day in council; and said that I was a  dangerous pestilent person; who under the pretence of selling the  Scriptures went about making converts; and moreover employed  subordinates; for the purpose of deluding weak and silly people  into separation from the Mother Church。

Of this man I have said in a letter to Mr。 Rule; not yet sent:  'I  hope that Marin's history will prove a warning to many of our  friends; and tend to a certain extent to sober down the desire for  doing what is called at home SMART THINGS; many of which terminate  in a manner very different from the original expectations of the  parties concerned。  To do a great and a good thing requires a heart  replete with the love of Christ and a head cooled by experience and  knowledge of the world; both of which desiderata I consider  incompatible with a wish to shine。'

It is probable that I shall leave prison to…morrow。  Pray write to  my mother and beg her not to be alarmed。

I remain; Revd。 and dear Sir;

Yours faithfully;

GEORGE BORROW。



LETTER: 13th May; 1838



To the Rev。 A。 Brandram (ENDORSED: recd。 May 23; 1838) MADRID; May 13 '1838'。

REVD。 AND DEAR SIR; … Post is just about to start; but I am  compelled to write a few words。  The Bible cause has triumphed in  Spain。  Whatever I do in future connected with the Gospel is to  have the sanction of the Government; who have expressed a desire to  co…operate with the Bible Society towards the civilization of the  country。

I left prison yesterday; and this morning was sent for to the  British Embassy; where Sir George entered into an infinity of  details which I cannot state at present。  Sir George has commanded  me; however; to write to the following effect:…

Mr。 Graydon must leave Spain; or the Bible Society must publicly 

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